A device and method for suppressing fluorinated liquid volatilization and handling fluorine gas in liquid immersion cooling

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of data center immersion liquid cooling, and particularly relates to a device for inhibiting fluorinated liquid volatilization and processing fluorine gas in immersion liquid cooling, which is composed of five parts of a liquid cooling cabinet, a server, a fluorinated liquid volatilization inhibition device, a fluorine gas processing device and a monitoring device. The fluorinated liquid volatilization inhibition device comprises an air-cooled pre-cooling device and a first flow regulating valve, the temperature and flow rate of fluorinated liquid at an inlet are controlled to reduce the temperature of fluorinated liquid at an outlet, and the generation of fluorine gas is inhibited from the source. The fluorine gas processing device comprises an air extraction tank, a second flow regulating valve and a reaction tank, the air extraction tank extracts and transports the generated fluorine gas, the second flow regulating valve controls the amount of fluorine gas entering the reaction tank, and the fluorine gas is converted into harmless gas in the reaction tank. The present application combines the fluorinated liquid volatilization inhibition device and the fluorine gas processing device in the way of internal improvement and external optimization, and can effectively solve the problem of easy volatilization of fluorinated liquid in the data center using fluorinated liquid cooling technology.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of immersion liquid cooling technology for data centers, and more specifically to a device for suppressing the volatilization of fluorinated liquid and treating fluorine gas in immersion liquid cooling. Background Technology

[0002] With the advent of the big data and cloud computing era, the data center industry has developed rapidly. The power consumption of single server racks is constantly increasing, and high-density, high-power servers have become the new normal. Traditional data center heat dissipation designs can no longer meet the heat dissipation needs of high-power processors caused by high computing performance. Currently, liquid cooling technology is a hot research topic in electronic device heat dissipation, with immersion liquid cooling being the most widely used and commercialized. It has been successfully applied to data center heat dissipation systems with large overall heat generation power and high temperature control consistency requirements. Because the coolant in an immersion liquid cooling system comes into direct contact with electronic components, it is essential to ensure insulation between the coolant and the electronic components. Fluorinated liquids have good chemical stability, insulation, and thermal conductivity, and are widely used in immersion liquid cooling projects. However, fluorinated liquids have low boiling points and are prone to volatilization, producing fluorine gas with a strong pungent odor that is harmful to the human body.

[0003] Several patents have proposed methods for treating fluorine gas. Patent CN114272743A proposes a gas-phase defluorination device and its application in defluorination. It uses an external temperature control program to heat a stainless steel cylinder structure, allowing fluorine-containing waste to fully contact with a modified alumina defluorinating agent for adsorption under high temperature. Patent CN216726631U proposes a device for removing fluorine impurities from nitrogen trifluoride gas. It first removes the fluorine gas after cracking by washing with water, and then treats the water containing fluoride ions with calcium salt or Ca(OH)2 solution. However, adsorption only addresses the downstream fluorine generation; research on suppressing the volatilization of fluorinated liquids at the upstream end remains largely lacking. Based on the physicochemical properties of fluorinated liquids, the relationship between temperature and saturated vapor pressure can be obtained. Taking FC-72 as an example, the relationship is: Lg(Vapor Pressure(pascals))=9.729-(1562 / (T, K)). According to the formula, as temperature increases, the saturated vapor pressure increases. Volatility is related to saturated vapor pressure; the higher the saturated vapor pressure, the greater the volatility. Simultaneously, as temperature increases, the surface tension of the fluorinated liquid decreases, making it more volatile. Furthermore, as temperature rises, the enthalpy of vaporization of the fluorinated liquid decreases, indicating that the heat required for the fluorinated liquid to transform from a liquid to a gaseous state decreases with increasing temperature, further facilitating its volatilization. Therefore, controlling the temperature of the fluorinated liquid can effectively suppress its volatilization.

[0004] This invention provides an apparatus and method for suppressing the volatilization of fluorinated liquid and treating fluorine gas in immersion liquid cooling systems. By combining an internal improvement and external optimization approach, the volatilization suppression device and the fluorine gas treatment device are integrated for higher efficiency. The fluorinated liquid pre-cooling device lowers the temperature of the fluorinated liquid at the outlet, ensuring the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the liquid cooler does not exceed 5°C, thereby reducing the saturated vapor pressure of the fluorinated liquid and suppressing volatilization. The fluorine gas treatment device uses a neutralizing agent to treat the fluorine gas generated in the liquid cooler, preventing direct discharge and potential harm to personnel. The monitoring device can detect the airtightness, pressure, and temperature of the liquid cooler, ensuring stable internal environmental parameters to prevent promoting fluorinated liquid volatilization, while also controlling the on / off operation of the device, thus saving energy. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to address the deficiencies in the prior art by providing an apparatus for immersion liquid cooling to suppress the volatilization of fluorinated liquid and to treat fluorine gas.

[0006] The technical solution adopted in this invention is:

[0007] A device for immersion liquid cooling to suppress the volatilization of fluorinated liquid and to treat fluorine gas consists of five parts: a liquid cooling cabinet, a server, a fluorinated liquid suppression device, a fluorine gas treatment device, and a monitoring device.

[0008] The liquid cooler is immersed in fluorinated liquid; the outer wall of the liquid cooler is provided with a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet and a gas outlet, the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are located on the same side wall of the liquid cooler, the liquid outlet is located higher than the liquid inlet, and the gas outlet is located at the top of the liquid cooler.

[0009] The server is placed at the bottom of the liquid cooling cabinet and is completely immersed in the fluorinated liquid; the height of the top of the server is lower than the height of the bottom of the liquid outlet, and the server is parallel to the left and right side walls of the liquid cooling cabinet.

[0010] The fluorinated liquid anti-evaporation device includes an air-cooled pre-cooling device and a first flow regulating valve. The air-cooled pre-cooling device is connected to the first flow regulating valve through a pipeline, and the first flow regulating valve is connected to the liquid inlet through a pipeline.

[0011] The fluorine gas treatment device includes a gas extraction box, a second flow regulating valve, and a reaction tank. The gas extraction box is connected to a gas outlet via a pipe, the second flow regulating valve is connected to the gas extraction box via a pipe, and the reaction tank is connected to the gas extraction box via a pipe and the second flow regulating valve.

[0012] The monitoring device includes a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, a fluorine gas detection device, and a pressure sensor. The first temperature sensor is installed at the liquid inlet, the second temperature sensor is installed at the liquid outlet, and the fluorine gas detection device and pressure sensor are installed on the top of the liquid cooler.

[0013] Furthermore, the air-cooled precooling device is electrically connected to the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor, and the first flow regulating valve is electrically connected to the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor.

[0014] Furthermore, an air pump is installed in the air extraction box, and the air pump is electrically connected to the pressure sensor.

[0015] Furthermore, the external circulation heat dissipation device for fluorinated liquid includes a liquid pump, a plate heat exchanger, and a liquid storage tank. The liquid outlet is connected to the liquid storage tank via a pipe, the liquid storage tank is connected to the plate heat exchanger, the plate heat exchanger is connected to the liquid pump via a pipe, and the liquid pump is connected to the fluorinated liquid anti-evaporation device via a pipe.

[0016] A method for operating an immersion liquid-cooled device for suppressing the volatilization of fluorinated liquid and treating fluorine gas includes:

[0017] Fluorinated liquid enters the liquid cooler through the inlet and completely immerses the server, absorbing the heat generated by the server. The fluorinated liquid carrying heat flows out from the outlet and returns to the liquid cooler through the storage tank, plate heat exchanger, liquid pump, fluorinated liquid anti-evaporation device and inlet, forming an external circulation of fluorinated liquid.

[0018] The first temperature sensor installed at the liquid inlet of the liquid cooler is used to detect the temperature of the fluorinated liquid at the inlet, and the second temperature sensor installed at the liquid outlet of the liquid cooler is used to detect the temperature of the fluorinated liquid at the outlet. When the temperature difference between the fluorinated liquid at the inlet and the outlet is greater than 5°C, the air-cooled precooling device and the first flow regulating valve are activated to control the temperature and flow rate of the fluorinated liquid at the inlet, thereby reducing the temperature of the fluorinated liquid at the outlet and inhibiting the volatilization of the fluorinated liquid.

[0019] The fluorine gas detection device is used to detect the fluorine gas content volatilized from the fluorinated liquid in the liquid cooler. When the fluorine gas content exceeds the set value, the gas outlet is opened to treat the fluorine gas.

[0020] The fluorine gas produced by volatilization enters the reaction tank through the gas outlet, the vacuum box, and the second flow regulating valve. The vacuum pump in the vacuum box is used to extract and transport the fluorine gas. The amount of fluorine gas entering the reaction tank is controlled by adjusting the second flow regulating valve, thereby controlling the reaction rate and preventing the accumulation of fluorine gas. The fluorine gas is treated with a neutralizing agent in the reaction tank. The reaction tank is connected to the gas outlet pipe that connects the room to the outside, so that the harmless gas is discharged to the outside.

[0021] Furthermore, a pressure sensor is used to detect the pressure in the liquid cooler, thereby controlling the power of the vacuum pump to keep the liquid cooler under positive pressure at all times.

[0022] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0023] This invention combines a fluorinated liquid anti-evaporation device and a fluorine gas treatment device, effectively solving the problem of fluorinated liquid volatility and preventing the generated fluorine gas from exceeding the pressure limit of the liquid cooler, causing the cooler to expand or even burst. It also solves the problem of harm to human health caused by large-scale fluorine gas leaks, which can even lead to asphyxiation and death due to mechanical obstruction of the respiratory tract.

[0024] The fluorinated liquid anti-evaporation device used in this invention includes an air-cooled pre-cooling device and a first flow regulating valve. The air-cooled pre-cooling device and the first flow regulating valve respectively control the temperature and flow rate of the fluorinated liquid at the inlet, reducing the temperature of the fluorinated liquid at the inlet and ensuring that the temperature difference between the fluorinated liquid at the inlet and outlet of the liquid cooler does not exceed 5°C, thereby reducing the saturated vapor pressure of the fluorinated liquid and inhibiting the generation of fluorine gas at the source.

[0025] The fluorine gas handling device used in this invention includes a vacuum chamber, a second flow regulating valve, and a reaction tank. When the fluorine gas content in the liquid-cooled cabinet exceeds a set value, the outlet opens, and the vacuum pump in the vacuum chamber extracts the volatilized fluorine gas and transports it to the reaction tank. The second flow regulating valve controls the amount of fluorine gas entering the reaction tank, thereby controlling the reaction rate and preventing fluorine gas accumulation. After entering the reaction tank, the fluorine gas undergoes a neutralization reaction and is converted into a harmless gas, preventing direct discharge of fluorine gas from harming personnel. The reaction tank is connected to an outlet pipe that connects the room to the outside, ultimately discharging the harmless gas outdoors. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the present invention.

[0027] The components include: 1. Liquid cooler; 1-1. Liquid inlet; 1-2. Liquid outlet; 1-3. Gas outlet; 2. Server; 3. Air-cooled pre-cooling device; 4. Vacuum box; 4-1. Vacuum pump; 5. Reaction tank; 6-1. First flow regulating valve; 6-2. Second flow regulating valve; 7-1. First temperature sensor; 7-2. Second temperature sensor; 8. Fluorine gas detection device; 9. Pressure sensor; 10. Liquid storage tank; 11. Plate heat exchanger; 12. Liquid pump. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0029] Example 1

[0030] like Figure 1As shown, a device for immersion liquid cooling to suppress the volatilization of fluorinated liquid and to treat fluorine gas consists of five parts: a liquid cooling cabinet 1, a server 2, a fluorinated liquid suppression device, a fluorine gas treatment device, and a monitoring device.

[0031] The liquid cooler 1 has an inlet 1-1 and an outlet 1-2 on the same side wall from top to bottom, and an outlet 1-3 is located at the top of the liquid cooler 1. The bottom of the server 2 is placed at the bottom of the liquid cooler 1, and the height of the top of the server 2 is lower than the height of the bottom of the outlet 1-2. The server 2 is parallel to the left and right side walls of the liquid cooler 1. The monitoring device includes a first temperature sensor 7-1, a second temperature sensor 7-2, a refrigerant gas detection device 8, and a pressure sensor 9. The first temperature sensor 7-1 is installed at the inlet 1-1, the second temperature sensor 7-2 is installed at the outlet 1-2, and the refrigerant gas detection device 8 and the pressure sensor 9 are installed at the top of the liquid cooler 1.

[0032] Fluorinated liquid enters the liquid cooler 1 through inlet 1-1, completely immersing the server 2 and absorbing the heat generated by the server 2. A first temperature sensor 7-1 installed at inlet 1-1 detects the temperature of the fluorinated liquid at inlet 1-1, and a second temperature sensor 7-2 installed at outlet 1-2 detects the temperature of the fluorinated liquid at outlet 1-2. When the temperature difference between inlet 1-1 and outlet 1-2 does not exceed 5°C, the fluorinated liquid evaporation suppression device, outlet 1-3, and fluorine gas treatment device are shut down. The fluorinated liquid carrying heat flows out from outlet 1-2, passing through storage tank 10, plate heat exchanger 11, liquid pump 12, and inlet 1-1, returning to the interior of the liquid cooler 1, forming an external circulation of the fluorinated liquid.

[0033] Example 2

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment has the same structure as Embodiment 1. The device in Embodiment 1 continues to operate, but the difference lies in that when the first temperature sensor 7-1 and the second temperature sensor 7-2 detect that the temperature difference between the fluorinated liquid at the inlet 1-1 and the outlet 1-2 exceeds 5°C, the fluorinated liquid anti-evaporation device is activated. The fluorinated liquid anti-evaporation device includes an air-cooled pre-cooling device 3 and a first flow regulating valve 6-1. The air-cooled pre-cooling device 3 is connected to the first flow regulating valve 6-1 through a pipe, and the first flow regulating valve 6-1 is connected to the inlet 1-1 through a pipe.

[0035] In this embodiment, the fluorinated liquid carrying heat flows out from the outlet 1-2, passing through the storage tank 10, plate heat exchanger 11, liquid pump 12, air-cooled precooling device 3, first flow regulating valve 6-1, and inlet 1-1, before returning to the interior of the liquid cooler 1. The air-cooled precooling device 3 and the first flow regulating valve 6-1 control the temperature and flow rate of the fluorinated liquid at the inlet 1-1, respectively, reducing the temperature of the fluorinated liquid at the inlet 1-1 and controlling the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the liquid cooler 1 to not exceed 5°C. At this time, the temperature of the fluorinated liquid decreases, the saturated vapor pressure of the fluorinated liquid increases, the surface tension increases, the enthalpy of vaporization increases, and the fluorinated liquid is less likely to volatilize, thus suppressing the generation of fluorine gas at the source.

[0036] Example 3

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment has the same structure as Embodiments 1 and 2. The devices in Embodiments 1 and 2 continue to operate. The difference is that when the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the liquid cooler 1 exceeds 5°C, the fluorinated liquid is more likely to evaporate. When the fluorine gas detection device 8 detects that the fluorine gas content exceeds the set value, the fluorine gas needs to be treated to prevent the liquid cooler 1 from expanding or even bursting. The fluorine gas treatment device includes a vacuum tank 4, a second flow regulating valve 6-2, and a reaction tank 5. The vacuum tank 4 is connected to the outlet 1-3 through a pipe, the second flow regulating valve 6-2 is connected to the vacuum tank 4 through a pipe, and the reaction tank 5 is connected to the second flow regulating valve 6-2 through a pipe. A vacuum pump 4-1 is installed in the vacuum tank 4.

[0038] The fluorine gas detection device 8 detects the fluorine gas content volatilized from the fluorinated liquid in the liquid cooler 1. When the fluorine gas content exceeds the set value, the outlet 1-3 opens, and the volatilized fluorine gas enters the reaction tank 5 through the outlet 1-3, the extraction tank 4, and the second flow regulating valve 6-2. The extraction pump 4-1 in the extraction tank 4 is used to extract and transport the fluorine gas. The second flow regulating valve 6-2 is adjusted to control the amount of fluorine gas entering the reaction tank 5, thereby controlling the reaction rate and preventing the accumulation of fluorine gas. The fluorine gas in the reaction tank 5 is treated with a neutralizing agent. The reaction tank 5 is connected to the exhaust pipe connecting the room to the outside, discharging the harmless gas outdoors. The pressure sensor 9 detects the pressure in the liquid cooler 1 and controls the power of the extraction pump 4-1 to keep the liquid cooler 1 under positive pressure.

Claims

1. A device for immersion liquid cooling to suppress the volatilization of fluorinated liquid and to treat fluorine gas, characterized in that: It consists of five parts: liquid cooling cabinet (1), server (2), fluorinated liquid anti-evaporation device, fluorine gas treatment device, monitoring device and fluorinated liquid external circulation heat dissipation device; The liquid cooler (1) is immersed in fluorinated liquid; the outer wall of the liquid cooler (1) is provided with a liquid inlet (1-1), a liquid outlet (1-2) and a gas outlet (1-3), the liquid inlet (1-1) and the liquid outlet (1-2) are located on the same side wall of the liquid cooler, the position of the liquid outlet (1-2) is higher than the position of the liquid inlet (1-1), the liquid outlet (1-2) is connected to the inlet of the liquid storage tank (10) through a pipe, and the gas outlet (1-3) is located at the top of the liquid cooler (1); The bottom of the server (2) is placed at the bottom of the liquid cooler (1), and the server (2) is completely immersed in the fluorinated liquid; the height of the top of the server (2) is lower than the height of the bottom of the liquid outlet (1-2), and the server (2) is parallel to the left and right side walls of the liquid cooler (1). The fluorinated liquid anti-evaporation device includes an air-cooled precooling device (3) and a first flow regulating valve (6-1). The outlet of the air-cooled precooling device (3) is connected to the inlet of the first flow regulating valve (6-1). The first flow regulating valve (6-1) is located before the liquid inlet (1-1). The outlet of the first flow regulating valve (6-1) is connected to the liquid inlet (1-1) through a pipe. The air-cooled precooling device (3) is electrically connected to a first temperature sensor (7-1) and a second temperature sensor (7-2). The first flow regulating valve (6-1) is electrically connected to the first temperature sensor (7-1) and the second temperature sensor (7-2). The fluorine gas treatment device includes a gas extraction box (4), a second flow regulating valve (6-2), and a fluorine neutralization reaction tank (5). The gas extraction box (4) is connected to the gas outlet (1-3) through a pipe. The second flow regulating valve (6-2) is connected to the gas extraction box (4) through a pipe. The fluorine neutralization reaction tank (5) is connected to the second flow regulating valve (6-2) through a pipe. The monitoring device includes a first temperature sensor (7-1), a second temperature sensor (7-2), a fluorine gas detection device (8), and a pressure sensor (9). The first temperature sensor (7-2) is installed at the liquid inlet (1-1), the second temperature sensor (7-2) is installed at the liquid outlet (1-2), and the fluorine gas detection device (8) and the pressure sensor (9) are installed on the top of the liquid cooler (1). The external circulation heat dissipation device for fluorinated liquid includes a liquid pump (12), a plate heat exchanger (11), and a liquid storage tank (10). The liquid outlet (1-2) is connected to the inlet of the liquid storage tank (10) through a pipe. The outlet of the liquid storage tank (10) is connected to the inlet of the plate heat exchanger (11). The outlet of the plate heat exchanger (11) is connected to the inlet of the liquid pump (12) through a pipe. The outlet of the liquid pump (12) is connected to the inlet of the air-cooled pre-cooling device (3) through a pipe.

2. The apparatus for immersion liquid cooling to suppress the volatilization of fluorinated liquid and to treat fluorine gas according to claim 1, characterized in that: An air pump (4-1) is installed in the air extraction box (4), and the air pump (4-1) is electrically connected to the pressure sensor (9).

3. The method for the apparatus for suppressing the volatilization of fluorinated liquid and treating fluorine gas by immersion liquid cooling according to claim 1, characterized in that: Fluorinated liquid enters the liquid cooler (1) through the inlet (1-1) and completely immerses the server (2), absorbing the heat generated by the server (2). The fluorinated liquid carrying heat flows out from the outlet (1-2) and returns to the interior of the liquid cooler (1) through the storage tank (10), plate heat exchanger (11), liquid pump (12), fluorinated liquid anti-evaporation device and inlet (1-1), forming an external circulation of fluorinated liquid. The first temperature sensor (7-1) installed at the liquid inlet (1-1) of the liquid cooler is used to detect the temperature of the fluorinated liquid at the liquid inlet (1-1), and the second temperature sensor (7-2) installed at the liquid outlet (1-2) of the liquid cooler is used to detect the temperature of the fluorinated liquid at the liquid outlet (1-2). When the temperature difference between the fluorinated liquid at the liquid inlet (1-1) and the liquid outlet (1-2) is greater than 5°C, the air-cooled precooling device (3) and the first flow regulating valve (6-1) are activated to control the temperature and flow rate of the fluorinated liquid at the liquid inlet (1-1) respectively, thereby reducing the temperature of the fluorinated liquid at the liquid outlet (1-2) and inhibiting the volatilization of the fluorinated liquid. The fluorine gas detection device (8) is used to detect the fluorine gas content volatilized from the fluorinated liquid in the liquid cooler (1). When the fluorine gas content exceeds the set value, the gas outlet (1-3) is opened to treat the fluorine gas. The fluorine gas produced by volatilization enters the fluorine neutralization reaction tank (5) through the gas outlet (1-3), the gas extraction box (4), and the second flow regulating valve (6-2); the gas extraction pump (4-1) in the gas extraction box (4) is used to extract and transport the fluorine gas; the second flow regulating valve (6-2) is adjusted to control the amount of fluorine gas entering the fluorine neutralization reaction tank (5), thereby controlling the reaction rate and avoiding the accumulation of fluorine gas; the fluorine gas is treated with a neutralizing agent in the fluorine neutralization reaction tank (5), and the fluorine neutralization reaction tank (5) is connected to the gas outlet pipe connecting the room to the outside, so as to discharge the harmless gas to the outside.

4. The method for the apparatus for suppressing the volatilization of fluorinated liquid and treating fluorine gas by immersion liquid cooling according to claim 3, characterized in that: The pressure sensor (9) is used to detect the pressure in the liquid cooler (1) and then control the power of the air pump (4-1) so that the liquid cooler (1) always maintains positive pressure.

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